1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for targeting advertisements to a specific demographic. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a computer program product for substituting targeted audible advertisements in place of a ringtone on a user's communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile devices are ubiquitous and popular. Mobile devices may include, for example, mobile phones and personal digital assistants that are capable of wireless connections. Advertisers would like to leverage this ubiquity while continuing to target advertisements to individuals. Additionally, advertisers would like to leverage location information to help target the advertisements.
Several factors complicate the goals of the advertiser to exploit this mobile ubiquity. For example, mobile devices are small with limited display capability and limited and/or expensive bandwidth. The conventional means by which advertisers have exploited mobile devices include embedding advertising into visual content, such as advertisements on a web page. This approach has been met with great resistance by the end user because of the limitations of the display and the associated drawbacks on the end user's bandwidth. An end user, as referenced herein, is the person or persons who will be using a particular technology and for whom it is designed.
Another approach that has been met with mixed results is to deliver short message service (SMS) text, often called text messaging, with targeted advertising based on an end user's location. This approach has the downside of being intrusive because the end user spends time opening and reading the text message with the expectation that it is from a friend or colleague.
One possible approach to a less intrusive targeted advertising model is to allow users to “shop” for free ring tones that contain embedded advertisements. Upon acquisition and installation of an advertisement laden ringtone, the end user is presented with an audible advertisement as a prelude to the standard ring process. The downside of this approach is that the advertiser is dependent on a shopping process initiated by the end user.